Springboks centre Francois Steyn will miss the rest of the Rugby Championship and their end-of-year tour to Europe.

Steyn requires surgery on his ankle and will go under the knife to clean out pieces of bone fragments around the joint. "We've been doing a number of scans and seeing specialists, there is quite few loose bodies in the joint, little pieces bone that in time has broken of ankle," said Boks doctor Craig Roberts. "Every now and then bones catches into the joint and gets excruciating pain, it can damage the joint.

"It was taken as long term decision, he will be done (operated) on Wednesday, unfortunately keep him out for three months, also for end of year tour."

The Sharks centre is one South Africa's key players and head coach Heyneke Meyer would have wanted him available when they travel to the northern hemisphere in November. They will face Ireland, Scotland and England in the autumn and Meyer admits that Steyn's injury is a "big blow".

Meyer said: "It's better that he gets the ankle sorted out properly as he still has a long rugby career ahead of him and can play many more Tests for South Africa."

The Boks face the All Blacks on Saturday in Johannesburg and they will also be without Jacques Potgieter for the match due to an abdominal strain. Zane Kirchner, Johan Goosen, Willem Alberts and Jannie du Plessis are also injury doubts.